The German Energiewende

Transforming Germany’s energy system

Germany has decided to switch its entire energy supply to renewables and to become increasingly energy efficient. In this way, Germany is playing a major role in climate protection. The Energiewende is our answer to the question of how we can make the energy supply secure, affordable and sustainable. This unique opportunity for Germany as a location for business and investment will open up new business opportunities, foster innovation, create jobs, boost growth and make us less dependent on oil and gas imports. The German Government is very often asked about the Energiewende. At the same time, many people are surprised by the dimensions of the project and by how many aspects it involves. By transforming its energy system, Germany is taking its responsibility for the planet and its inhabitants seriously. These wide-ranging tasks and challenges are what we want to present on this website and in our travelling exhibition. We invite you to join us as we shift to green energy.

Cuenca

11 Mar 2019 - 14 Apr 2019

Universidad Politécnica Salesiana

Masdar City

10 Jan 2019 - 18 Jan 2019

Al Ain

09 Dec 2018 - 15 Dec 2018

United Arab Emirates University

Abu Dhabi

07 Nov 2018 - 07 Nov 2018

Beach Rotana Hotel

Vicente Lopez

09 Nov 2018 - 11 Nov 2018

Expo Verde Fest

Quito

28 Nov 2018 - 28 Feb 2019

Universidad Politecnica

Jakarta

28 Oct 2018 - 09 Nov 2018

Atma Jaya University

Krasnodar

15 Sept 2018 - 23 Sept 2018

Felitsyn Museum

Bruges

12 Sept 2018 - 03 Oct 2018

College of Europe

Surabaya

14 Nov 2018 - 28 Nov 2018

Grand City Mall

Nanjing

05 July 2018 - 25 Dec 2018

Tengfei Mansion, No. 88, Jiangmiao Road, Jiangbei New Area

Arusha

23 July 2018 - 10 Aug 2018

East African Community Secretariat

Oran

15 Oct 2018 - 17 Oct 2018

ERA Oran - International Exhibition of Renewable Energies, Clean Energies and Sustainable Development

Nairobi

25 June 2018 - 30 June 2018

Sarit Centre/Nairobi Westlands

Buenos Aires

22 Oct 2018 - 04 Nov 2018

Buenos Aires' University

Villa María

24 Sept 2018 - 29 Sept 2018

"Mariano Moreno" media centre

REECON

05 June 2018 - 06 June 2018

São Paulo

04 May 2018 - 09 May 2018

Impact Hub São Paulo

Moscow

16 Apr 2018 - 20 Apr 2018

Moscow Power Engineering Institute

Brasília

23 Apr 2018 - 27 Apr 2018

Rio de Janeiro

11 Apr 2018 - 19 Apr 2018

Bloco H, Centro de Tecnologia - UFRJ

Ulyanovsk

14 May 2018 - 20 May 2018

Forum "Wind Power 2018"

Nairobi

18 June 2018 - 22 June 2018

United Nations Compound

Nouakchott

07 June 2018 - 04 July 2018

Chambre de Commerce, d'Industrie et d'Agriculture de Mauritanie

Tashkent

02 Nov 2018 - 11 Nov 2018

National Institute of Arts and Design

Saint Petersburg

25 Apr 2018 - 27 Apr 2018

Russian International Energy Forum - RIEF

Jaén

19 Mar 2018 - 27 Apr 2018

University

Cave Hill/Barbados

25 Nov 2017 - 02 Dec 2017

University of the West Indies

Melbourne

11 Oct 2017 - 12 Oct 2017

All-Energy Exhibition and Conference

Zhenjiang

26 Sept 2017 - 28 Sept 2017

International Low Carbon Expo'17

Amman

16 Sept 2017 - 28 Sept 2017

Jordan Museum

Cali

20 Mar 2017 - 16 Apr 2017

Club de Ejecutivos

Perth

02 Nov 2017 - 11 Nov 2017

Hyatt Regency Hotel

Miami

07 July 2017 - 31 July 2017

Miami Dade College

Mexico City

11 Sept 2017 - 13 Sept 2017

MEXIREC congress

Kuwait

16 July 2017 - 20 July 2017

Ministry of Electricity and Water

Lappeenranta

09 Oct 2017 - 15 Oct 2017

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Tampere

25 Sept 2017 - 01 Oct 2017

Tampere University

Helsinki

18 Sept 2017 - 20 Sept 2017

Finlandia Hall

Vaasa

28 Aug 2017 - 10 Sept 2017

Vaasa University

Beijing

07 Apr 2016 - 29 May 2016

University of International Business and Economics

Belgrade

24 Apr 2016 - 07 May 2016

Technical University

Frankfurt

01 May 2016 - 03 May 2016

49th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development

Washington, D. C.

12 May 2016 - 13 May 2016

Deutsche Botschaft

Leskovac

12 May 2016 - 21 May 2016

Regional centre

Cape Town

15 May 2016 - 18 May 2016

Africa Energy Transition Dialogue

Cape Town

20 May 2016 - 25 June 2016

SARETEC

Vranje

26 May 2016 - 30 May 2016

Technical University

Belgrad

04 June 2016 - 08 June 2016

RENEXPO trade fair

Chengdu

13 June 2016 - 25 June 2016

Mexiko City

19 June 2016 - 16 July 2016

Forum Buenavista

Guangzhou

20 July 2016 - 25 Aug 2016

Guangzhou library

Pretoria

31 July 2016 - 13 Aug 2016

German Embassy

Berlin

02 Aug 2016 - 28 Aug 2016

Federal Foreign Office

Sacramento

06 Sept 2016 - 08 Sept 2016

CAISO conference (California Independent Systems Operator)

Chengdu

06 Sept 2016 - 07 Oct 2016

Cultural centre

Santa Clara

18 Sept 2016 - 21 Sept 2016

VERGE 2016 conference

Islamabad

18 Sept 2016 - 21 Sept 2016

Chengdu

02 Nov 2016 - 05 Nov 2016

Western China International Fair

Hong Kong

02 Nov 2016 - 04 Nov 2016

Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business

Sarajevo

08 Nov 2016 - 09 Nov 2016

RENEXPO trade fair

Bogotá

30 Nov 2016 - 07 Mar 2017

“Maloka” educational centre

Doha

05 Dec 2016 - 06 Dec 2016

Warsaw

05 Dec 2016 - 06 Dec 2016

Palace of Culture and Science

New York

08 Jan 2017 - 19 Jan 2017

United Nations

Geneva

15 Jan 2017 - 28 Jan 2017

Palace of Nations

Kraków

17 Jan 2017 - 23 Feb 2017

Agricultural University

Kunming

15 Feb 2017 - 15 Mar 2017

Sino-German Cultural Centre

Kielce

28 Feb 2017 - 08 Apr 2017

Trade fair centre

Berlin

19 Mar 2017 - 20 Mar 2017

Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue

Riyadh

25 Mar 2017 - 31 Mar 2017

Al Haram Mall

Djidda

05 Apr 2017 - 14 Apr 2017

Kuala Lumpur

11 Apr 2017 - 22 Apr 2017

Petronas Towers

Hannover

23 Apr 2017 - 27 Apr 2017

Hannover Messe trade fair

Qingdao

20 Apr 2017 - 30 May 2017

Sino-German Ecopark

Georgetown

27 Apr 2017 - 06 May 2017

Khazanah Nasional

Tampa

31 Jan 2017 - 10 June 2017

Museum of Science and Industry

Tel Aviv

24 May 2017 - 12 June 2017

Porter School of Environmental Studies

Bad Lauterberg

25 June 2017 - 29 June 2017

Hotel revita

Trinidad

26 Sept 2017 - 06 Oct 2017

NIHERST

Madrid

29 Oct 2017 - 18 Nov 2017

Polytechnic University

Bonn

05 Nov 2017 - 16 Nov 2017

UN Climate Change Conference COP23

Valencia

14 Dec 2017 - 22 Jan 2018

City of Arts and Sciences

Kuwait City

21 May 2017 - 25 May 2017

"The Avenues" mall

Santiago de Chile

05 May 2017 - 25 May 2017

Cultural Center „Gabriela Mistral“, building B, entrance area

Lima

17 Aug 2017 - 16 Sept 2017

University for Engineering and Technology UTEC

New Delhi

06 Jan 2018 - 14 Jan 2018

New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF)

New Delhi

18 Dec 2017 - 30 Dec 2017

German House

Faridabad

22 Jan 2018 - 04 Feb 2018

Manav Rachna International University

Shanghai

13 Apr 2018 - 30 May 2018

German Centre

Shanghai

01 June 2018 - 02 July 2018

Tongji University

Algiers

26 Mar 2018 - 28 Mar 2018

Palais des Expositions d’Alger

Bilbao

05 Mar 2018 - 15 Mar 2018

University of the Basque Country

New Delhi

23 Feb 2018 - 28 Feb 2018

Indian Institute of Technology

New Delhi

19 Mar 2018 - 23 Mar 2018

TERI University

The Energiewende and its diverse international history

Germany’s energy system will not be transformed overnight. We will switch to renewable energies by 2050, one step at a time, pursuing clear and ambitious targets and following a precise roadmap. The Energiewende is firmly embedded in an international framework. We welcome in-depth dialogue with our European neighbours and international partners, and aim at cross-border cooperation and solutions. We need joint solutions in order to create a secure, sustainable and affordable energy supply.

1971

1971

1972

1972

One of Germany’s first solar-powered housing estates is built in the small town of Penzberg in southern Germany.

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1973

1973

The Yom Kippur War (October 1973) sparks a global oil crisis. Germany introduces four car-free Sundays in order to save energy.

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1975

1975

The Energy Security of Supply Act introduces higher energy reserve requirements and sets a speed limit on German roads. The German Government launches an information campaign on energy saving.

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1977

1977

The German Government sets the first energy-efficiency standards for buildings in its Thermal Insulation Ordinance.

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1979

1979/1980

The Iran-Iraq War sparks the second global oil crisis.

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1984

1984

Enercon develops the first modern wind turbine for production on a commercial scale in Germany.

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1986

1986

A major accident occurs in a reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine. The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety is set up in Germany.

The first road-legal solar vehicle drives through Germany.

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1987

1987

Westküste, Germany’s first wind farm, is built. It has 30 turbines.

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1990

1990

The German Government launches a thousand-roof programme to fund photovoltaic (PV) plants. East and West Germany are reunited. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) publishes its first assessment report on the global climate.

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1991

1991

The Electricity Grid Feed Act requires all German energy suppliers to purchase electricity generated from renewable sources and to feed it into the grid.

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1992

1992

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro adopts the principle of sustainable development.

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1994

1994

Europe’s first mass-produced electric car is launched on the market.

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1995

1995

The first United Nations Climate Change Conference is held in Berlin, marking the start of talks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

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1996

1996

Europe decides to liberalise its electricity and gas markets, which had previously been restricted to national territories. The European Commission publishes the first joint European strategy on the development of renewable energies.

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1997

1997

The Kyoto Protocol on the global reduction of greenhouse gases is adopted. Since then, 191 countries have ratified the agreement.

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1998

1998

Germany adopts a law liberalizing its electricity and gas markets.

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2000

2000

The European Commission publishes the first joint strategy for enewable energy, energy efficiency and climate protection in Europe. The Renewable Energy Sources Act enters into force in Germany. It will become the driving force behind the development of renewable energies in Germany.

The German Government decides to phase out nuclear power. Nuclear power plants will be allowed to operate for a maximum of 32 years.

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2002

2002

The first Energy Saving Ordinance comes into force. It sets standards for the overall efficiency of new and existing buildings. The first Act on Energy Efficiency Labelling creates transparency on the amount of energy consumed by products such as vehicles and domestic appliances.

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2003

2003

Europe adopts a binding emissions trading system for greenhouse gases.

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2004

2004

The renewable energy sector employs 160,000 people in Germany.

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2005

2005

Emissions trading starts in Europe. All EU member states participate in the scheme.

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2007

2007

The EU adopts a 2020 climate and energy package with binding targets for the development of renewable energies, climate protection and energy efficiency. Louis Palmer begins a journey around the world in the Solartaxi, a car powered entirely by solar energy. His trip takes 18 months.

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2008

2008

Germany introduces an energy passport for buildings, which provides information about buildings’ energy consumption and efficiency. The Renewable Energies Heat Act stipulates that a certain amount of heat generation must be provided by renewable sources in new buildings.

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2009

2009

The Power Grid Expansion Act speeds up the approval process for new high-voltage power lines.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is founded by 75 countries.

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2010

2010

The German Government adopts an Energy Concept, a long-term strategy for Germany’s energy supply until 2050. The EU adopts a directive on the energy performance of buildings. From 2021, all new buildings are to be “nearly zero-energy buildings”.

The German Energy Agency (dena) publishes a study on the grid expansion needed for renewable energy to provide around 40 percent of Germany’s electricity.

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2011

2011

A major accident occurs in a nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan. Germany decides to phase out the use of nuclear power for electricity generation by 2022, earlier than originally planned. Eight old plants are immediately switched off. The European Commission published the Energy Roadmap 2050, a long-term strategy for climate protection and energy supply in Europe.

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2012

2012

The Kyoto Protocol is extended until 2020 at the United Nations Climate Conference in Doha.

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2013

2013

Germany adopts the first Federal Requirements Plan Act on the necessary expansion of the electricity transmission network.

The first completely newly developed electric drive car is mass-produced in Germany.

The first industrial-scale power-to-gas plant goes online in Germany.

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2014

2014

Germany reforms the Renewable Energy Sources Act. The Act now includes annual development targets and imposes market integration. The EU agrees on energy and climate targets for 2030: to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent, to increase the share of renewables to at least 27 percent and to reduce energy consumption by at least 27 percent. Germany adopts the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan and launches the Climate Action Programme 2020.

With a share of 27.4 percent in the electricity mix, renewable energy becomes the most important source of energy in Germany for the first time.

Travelling exhibition “Energiewende – Germany’s Energy Transition”

Hardly any other topic in German politics attracts as much international interest as energy policy. With the energy transition, Germany is pursuing an ambitious path to an energy policy which is more secure, affordable and sustainable. Interest is so great that the term Energiewende has found its way into the vocabulary of many different world languages. This is a source of great pride for us. After all, the energy transition also means more international networking to secure more sustainable energy supplies. At the same time, we are seeing time and again that a number of questions and misunderstandings persist around the world. With the travelling exhibition on the Energiewende and this website, we want to explain to you what the energy transition is all about, what milestones have been achieved and what challenges remain. The exhibition and this website were devised by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in cooperation with the communications agency edelman.ergo on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office.

The Energiewende in your language

Our exhibition is travelling the world in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic and German. If you would prefer to read it in another language you can download various translations here. Further languages will be added continuously.

Select language

Deutsch

English

العربية

普通话

Français

русский

Español

Bahasa

Bosanski Jezik

Český

日本語

עברית

한국어

Magyar

Polski

Português (Brasil)

Português (Portugal)

Português (África Ocidental)

Suomi

Kiswahili

A long-term project with many dimensions

The Energiewende is a fundamental restructuring and re-alignment of German energy policy. Yet, the Energiewende is multi-dimensional and goes far beyond the power sector. A successful transition can only be achieved by considering – inter alia – transport, research and development, international coordination and public participation.

GIZ is a public-benefit limited liability company under German law (gemeinnützige GmbH) whose purpose is to foster international cooperation.

Foreign language translations

If parts of this website are provided in languages other than German, this is intended solely as a service for the staff and guests of GIZ who are not proficient in German.

Liability

This website has been compiled with the utmost care. Nevertheless, GIZ gives no guarantee that the information provided is current, accurate, complete or error-free. GIZ accepts no liability for damage or loss arising directly or indirectly from the use of this website, provided it has not been caused intentionally or by gross negligence. GIZ expressly reserves the right to modify, append and delete the website in part or in whole without prior notice, or to halt publication completely or for a limited period.

Links to other web sites

This website contains links to external sites. Responsibility for the content of the external sites linked to this website always lies with their respective publishers. When the links to these sites were first posted, GIZ checked the third-party content to establish whether it could give rise to civil or criminal liability. However, the constant review of the linked external sites cannot reasonably be expected without concrete indication of a violation of rights. If GIZ itself becomes aware or is notified by a third party that a linked external site gives rise to civil or criminal liability, it will remove the link to this site immediately. GIZ expressly dissociates itself from such content.

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